FIG. 1 depicts a conventional buffered optical waveguide 7. Conventional buffered optical waveguide 7 includes an optical fiber 1 and a buffer layer 5. Optical fiber 1 generally includes a core 1a, a cladding 1b, and a coating 1c. Core 1a has an index of refraction that is greater than that of cladding 1b, thereby promoting internal reflection for transmitting optical signals. At the time of manufacture, cladding 1b is typically coated with one or more layers of coating 1c such as a UV-curable acrylate polymer. Typical outer diameters for these components are about 10 microns for a single mode core (or 50-62.5 microns for a multimode core), 125 microns for the cladding, and 250 microns for the coating, but other dimensions can be employed. Advantageously, optical fibers are capable of transmitting optical signals with relatively low optical attenuation. Nonetheless, due to their relatively sensitive nature, optical fibers can experience relatively high increases in optical attenuation when subjected to tensile, bending, or torsional stresses and/or strains.
Consequently, optical fibers can include buffer layer 5 therearound, thereby protecting the optical fiber from stresses and/or strains. Buffer layer 5 typically has an outer diameter of about 900 microns to protect the optical fiber; however, other suitable dimensions can be employed. Buffer layer 5 is generally extruded over optical fiber 1 in a relatively hot liquid form and quenched in a water trough. Moreover, buffer layer 5 can be either tight or loose depending on the degree of coupling between optical fiber 1 and buffer layer 5. However, in either instance buffer layer 5 requires stripping from the optical fiber before an optical connection to the optical fiber can be made. End users have generic requirements for the stripability of buffer layer 5 from optical fiber 1 so that optical connections can easily be performed. For example, the GR-409 standard requires a minimum, and a maximum, force to strip a predetermined length such as 15 mm of buffer layer 5 from optical fiber 1. To meet these requirements, some buffered optical fibers use a lubricant 3 that acts as a slip layer between the coating and buffer layer 5, thereby aiding stripability. However, providing lubricant increases manufacturing complexity and increases manufacturing costs. Moreover, there are applications that desire stripping long lengths such as 50 cm or more of buffer layer 5 from optical fiber 1. In order to avoid damage to optical fiber 1, stripping long lengths of buffer layer 5 is typically accomplished by stripping several shorter lengths of buffer layer 5 until the desired length of buffer layer 5 is stripped from optical fiber 1. Stripping several shorter lengths is a laborious and time-consuming process.
Additionally, due to environmental performance issues conventional buffered optical waveguides are typically only suitable for use indoors. This is because relatively low temperatures cause buffer layer 5 to shrink at a substantially different rate than optical fiber 1, thereby imparting stresses and/or strains to optical fiber 1 that degrade optical performance.